"With a second attempt, this lawsuit remains meritless. Penguin Random House will continue to stand by the book and its authors just as we will continue to stand for the important fundamental principles of the First Amendment."

Total net book sales in July in the U.S. fell 4.2%, to $1.27 billion, compared to July 2024, representing sales of 1,320 publishers and distributed clients as reported to the Association of American Publishers. For the year to date, net book sales were down 2.1%, to $7.58 billion.

In July, trade book sales fell 11.9%, to $680.9 million. Adult sales dropped 13.6%, with adult fiction down 10.3% and adult nonfiction down 18.4%. Children's/YA sales slipped 10.4%, with children's/YA fiction down 12.4%, and children's/YA nonfiction off just 0.1%.

In terms of format, trade hardcover sales dropped 9.6%, to $203.9 million, paperbacks fell 14.8%, to $245.7 million, mass market dropped 8.5%, to $10.2 million, and special bindings inched up 0.6%, to $19.7 million.

Sales by category for July 2025:

During the first three days of the Frankfurt Book Fair, the number of trade visitors rose more than 3%, according to fair organizers. The total of 118,000 trade visitors came from 125 countries. In addition, 120,000 private visitors, mostly from the German public, attended, up 5,000 from last year. Some 4,350 exhibitors were at the fair, compared to 4,300 last year. And the sold-out literary agents' center hosted 321 agencies from 32 countries.

Juergen Boos, director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, said that the fair "remains on course for growth. Once again, we have had more visitors and more exhibitors than in the previous year. Our strength lies in the fact that Frankfurt brings together book professionals and literature lovers from all over the world. We combine a marketplace with a festival of literature."

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Last Monday night, the eve of the Frankfurt Book Fair, at a ceremony at the Römer in Frankfurt, the €25,000 (about $28,940) German Book Prize was awarded to Die Holländerinnen (The Dutch Women) by Dorothee Elmiger. The prize honors the best German-language novel of the year.

The jury commented: "This novel is an event. A writer recounts her journey into the South American jungle with a theatre group, retracing the path of two Dutch women who disappeared there years earlier. Along the way, the group shares unsettling stories. The deeper they venture into the thicket and mire, the more Elmiger pulls the reader into a vortex of fear. Her novel tells of people who descend into their 'darkest opposite.' Not only Elmiger's language is oblique--so is her reference to our present, which is sinking, step by step, into hubris. Her style is at once distant and yet gripping. Die Holländerinnen--a fascinating journey into the heart of darkness."

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Sebastian Guggolz

Sebastian Guggolz, publisher of Guggolz Verlag and team leader of classics at S. Fischer Verlag, has been named the new chair of the Börsenverein, the German publishers and booksellers association, succeeding Karin Schmidt-Friderichs, who steps down after two three-year terms.

Guggolz founded Guggolz Verlag in 2014 and been responsible for the classics at S. Fischer since 2022. He serves as spokesperson for the board of trustees of the German Literature Fund and has served on various juries, including head of the Italo Svevo Prize.

Guggolz studied art history, German studies, and folklore in Hamburg and then worked as an editor.

Other newly elected board members are Katja Berger, from HarperCollins Germany, as treasurer; booksellers Lucia Bornhofen, owner of Buchhandlung Bornhofen in Gernsheim, and Klaus Kowalke, chair of Buchhandlung Lessing und Kompanie in Chemnitz; and wholesaler Alyna Wnukowsky of Libri.

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During a panel discussion on digital sovereignty in the European publishing industry on Wednesday afternoon, lawyer and consultant Sabine Richly was asked how generative AI has affected European publishing so far. Richly reported that "all sectors" have been affected, with "quite a number" of key roles in the industry being "quietly replaced by AI."

Translation, Richly explained, has seen the biggest impact so far. The amount of money paid by publishing houses for human translation services has been "cut down quite significantly," and in some cases human translators have been hired "only to polish machine translations." At the same time, AI-generated cover illustrations are becoming more common as are AI editing services. 

Richly characterized the present moment as one of insecurity. It is not yet clear whether there is permission for AI companies to mine text and data, she continued, and there probably won't be clarity on the matter "for quite a while." The lack of clarity makes it "very difficult to take action," and at an economic level, there is the question of "what is training data actually worth?" 

She noted too that unlike the U.S., the E.U. does not have class-action lawsuits, and "every case that is decided is a single case." That said, the E.U. court of justice can make decisions that "really help understanding across all member states," and the possibility of getting to a "good position" within the framework of European copyright law is still there.

Richly said it was imperative that the industry pushes to make sure that works are "not used by default," and the E.U. as a whole needs to develop independent digital infrastructure in order to no longer be beholden to big Tech.

On the same panel, Björn Staschen of Save Social, advocated for European investment in open platforms as alternatives to the "blackbox algorithm platforms" created by big tech companies. It may take time to build a digital ecosystem, but stakeholders will know that the communities they've built will still be there in 5-10 years, he said. Staschen called it crucial for "not only selling a book" but also "saving democracy."

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For the first time in years, the book fair is planning a major reorganization of the halls, with a new emphasis put on German and public exhibitors, which will take all the first-floor space in the main halls, including 3, 4, 5, and 6, next year. International exhibitors will be on the second and third floors. The second and third floors of Hall 6 will be the English-speaking countries' hall, and the relatively new Hall 3, always the German hall, will now have international exhibitors on its second floor. The literary agents center, which has been on the third floor of Hall 6 for some time, will move to Hall 4. In addition, Hall 1, which this year featured dark romance, fantasy, and new adult titles, will no longer be used.

The changes were made, the fair said, in part to give exhibitors "with a strong audience focus" more space to showcase their books and offer them for sale. Reportedly last year, when the fair was open to the public, German Hall 3 was so overwhelmed with consumers that it became dangerous. --John Mutter and Alex Mutter

Luke Garing and Paola Merrill are the new owners of Trail's End Bookstore in Winthrop, Wash. Methow Valley News reported that they purchased the shop from Christine Janikowski and Abilene Hagee, who "grew the bookstore threefold in 13 years. Nine years ago, they moved Trail's End one short block in downtown Winthrop."

When Trail's End reopened recently under new ownership, "nothing much changed from the customer's perspective. But expect new owner Paola Merrill to put her own touches on the store before long," Methow Valley News wrote. Merrill is an artist and videographer who became a YouTube phenomenon during Covid-19 with her rural lifestyle channel, The Cottage Fairy.

"I still want to keep it up, but I want to do something a little more local and community focused," she said.

In an e-mail message, the former owners noted: "Thank you to our family, friends, longtime customers, and visitors for your support these last 13 years. We couldn't have done this without you, and for that we are ever grateful."

Before moving to the Methow Valley in 2019, Merrill studied English literature at Western Washington University in Bellingham, where she worked at Village Books. She's also been a Trail's End employee for the past several years.

"I've always loved working with books and people," she said. "It's been fun getting to know a lot of my customers here throughout the years.... Everyone is welcome at the bookstore. Anyone who walks in can find a book that they relate to on some level, and that's something that we really strive to do."

Robert J.R. Follett, who spent more than 40 years working for his family's
company, Follett Corp., rising to become chairman, died September 3. He was 97. The Chicago Tribune reported that Follett oversaw the 1982 sale of the company's publishing arm "and the continued successes of its remaining college bookstore operations and used textbook and wholesale library businesses."

"He had an enthusiasm and energy for the business and for interacting with people," said Chris Traut, former CEO of Follett Corp. "And he was a great ambassador for the company, both inside the company and outside the company."

Follett was founded in 1873 by Charles M. Barnes, whose son went on to co-found Barnes & Noble. The Follett family joined Barnes's company in 1912, the Tribune wrote, "and in 1918 what had been known as the C.M. Barnes-Wilcox Co. was renamed the J.W. Wilcox & Follett Co., with Follett's grandfather, Charles W. Follett, taking over the company at that time. Follett's father, Dwight, joined the company in 1925--specializing in social studies textbooks--and he became chairman and president in 1952."

Robert Follett began working for the publishing unit as a junior editor, was soon promoted to v-p and, in 1968, president of that division. During the 1960s, he edited and published some of the first textbooks with racially integrated illustrations. 

In 1977, Follett became chairman of Follett Corp., and five years later divested the Follett Publishing subsidiary to Esquire Inc. while retaining its wholesale and retail book operations, including about 85 college bookstores. Follett continued to serve as chairman of Follett Corp., the Tribune wrote, "which saw its used textbook and wholesale library businesses thrive, and the firm also expanded to become the largest college bookstore operator in North America. He led the company as it developed a successful software business for managing schools and school libraries."

"Bob was a thoughtful leader," said former Follett Corp. chairman Todd Litzsinger, whose father, Dick, had served as Follett Corp.'s CEO and president in the 1990s. "He honored the family business with his true interest in knowing and supporting employees--family or not--and giving valuable insight to the larger family ownership. His partnership with my father secured years of growth and prosperity for the business. He was curious, open-minded and provoked others to find new ways of doing things."

During Follett's 17-year tenure as chairman, the company grew fifteen-fold, according to his family. He retired from in 1994. Follett Corp. later sold its software and K-12 businesses, and the bookstore division was sold in 2022 to an investment group. 

Follett was also the author more than 10 books, including Your Wonderful Body (1963), a children's title; The Financial Side of Book Publishing (1982); and Leadership: Growing and Sustaining A Smaller Organization (2012).

More than 150 guests turned out to celebrate the launch of the Cosmo Reads imprint, a partnership between Sourcebooks and Cosmopolitan magazine, and its first novel, Female Fantasy by Iman Hariri-Kia. Pictured: (l.) the author with Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Willa Bennett at Apartment 5 in New York City. (photo courtesy of Cosmopolitan)

Some indie booksellers took to their sidewalk chalkboards to express support for Saturday's No Kings protests nationwide, including:

Ink & Ivy Book Boutique, Madison, Wis.: "The power of the people is greater than the people in power! No kings!!"

Butcher Cabin Books, Louisville, Ky.: "The only kings we want are drag kings."

Abigail Endler has joined Sourcebooks as associate director of publicity & marketing, Poisoned Pen Press.

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At PR by the Book:

Jana Nelson has joined the company as director of publicity. She has worked at Augsburg Fortress and Graywolf Press, run her own PR consultancy, and co-founded the Twin Cities Book Festival.

Tara Lehmann has joined the company as senior publicist & digital team lead.

Just Visiting This Planet, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century: Further Scientific Adventures of Merlin from Omniscia by Neil deGrasse Tyson (Blackstone Publishing).

Today:
CBS Mornings: Senator Bernie Sanders, author of Fight Oligarchy (Crown, $14.99, 9798217089161). He will also appear today on the View.

Also on CBS Mornings: Karine Jean-Pierre, author of Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines (Legacy Lit, $29.99, 9781538777084). She will also appear tonight on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert and tomorrow on the View. 

Today: Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Partypooper (Amulet, $15.99, 9781419782695).

Fresh Air: Ken Burns, co-author of The American Revolution: An Intimate History (Knopf, $80, 9780525658672), to be published November 11.

Tonight Show: Malala Yousafzai, author of Finding My Way: A Memoir (Atria, $30, 9781668054277). 

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Deborah Roberts, author of Sisters Loved and Treasured: Stories of Unbreakable Bonds (Hyperion Avenue, $26.99, 9781368115810).

The View: Brie Larson and Courtney McBroom, authors of Party People: A Cookbook for Creative Celebrations (DK, $35, 9780593970027).

Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Michael J. Fox, co-author of Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum (Flatiron, $26.99, 9781250866783).

Tonight Show: Allen Iverson, author of Misunderstood: A Memoir (Gallery/13A, $30, 9781476784397).

Bruna Papandrea and Made Up Stories are developing J.P. Pomare's novel 17 Years Later into a TV series. Deadline reported that the project will be directed and executive-produced by John Polson (Elementary), with Pam Veasey (CSI: NY) serving as writer, showrunner, and executive producer. Papandrea (Big Little Lies) will also exec produce alongside Steve Hutensky, Casey Haver, and Katie Amos for Made Up Stories (The Undoing).

Pomare said, "I have long admired Bruna Papandrea and I'm particularly excited about the prospect of my work taking place beside some of my favorite shows and films. I could not be happier to have Pam Veasey attached given her immense contribution to the industry over three decades. I'm looking forward to seeing how the project evolves and am grateful to everyone who's believed in this story from the beginning."

Made Up Stories commented: "We read so many mysteries, it's so rare and thrilling to come across something that had us guessing and gasping until the very end. And to partner with Pam Veasey and John Polson again is just a dream, we're so excited for their vision of the show set in the U.S. and can't wait for this team to bring 17 Years Later to life."

Nicola Dinan's second novel, Disappoint Me, has been named the inaugural winner of the £2,000 (about $2,685) New Adult Book Prize, which was founded this year by the Bookseller to celebrate "one of the fastest growing areas of fiction publishing," and is run in partnership with the Cheltenham Literature Festival. 

Judge Lizzie Damilola Blackburn said: "Thought-provoking, gut-wrenching, and ultimately hopeful, Disappoint Me reminded me why I love reading--the joy of learning about other people's experiences. Dinan's writing is sharp, layered and deeply human--and, as a fellow author, frankly aspirational. Disappoint Me is a worthy winner that will stay with me for a long time."

Philip Jones, editor of the Bookseller, commented: "A fantastic winner comes after a fantastic season for this new award. Thanks to the brilliant team behind it, our partner Cheltenham, the publishers who supported it, the judges who selected the shortlist and winner, the guild who amplified it and, of course, the writers and readers who are buoying this exciting segment of the book market."  

Controversial Nobel laureate Peter Handke's novel The Ballad of the Last Guest is a slim, elegant mood piece, intended more to evoke feelings and emotions than to tell a conventional story. Anyone willing to surrender to its melancholy sensibility on those terms will be rewarded with a meaningful reading experience.

Gregor Werfer, an isolated man who "longed, even yearned, to be seen, and more than merely seen: to be recognized," and who thinks of himself as "a chronicler of the adventures of one gone astray," returns to his childhood home for a weeklong visit highlighted by the baptism of his younger sister's baby boy, his godchild. But even as he rejoins his family, he's burdened by his knowledge of a terrible secret.

Unbeknownst to his parents and sister, their son and brother Hans, serving in the Foreign Legion of an unnamed country, has been killed by an enemy bullet, his body buried immediately in the tropical country where he was fighting. Gregor's relationship with his younger sibling had never been an easy one, and in the first section of this triptych work, Handke (The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick) reveals how the brothers, on a joint expedition before Hans's departure to his military mission, at least had experienced the quiet satisfaction of "finding each other again after all those years of estrangement."

But instead of unburdening himself of his grief to his family, Gregor, clad in a suit and an expensive new fall coat, and haunted by "business to settle with myself," abandons them to embark on a restless, solitary odyssey through the environs of New Town, the rapidly urbanizing "agglomeration" that's replacing much of the rural environment of his youth. A veteran of what he calls "my one-man expeditions," he's a keen observer of his shifting surroundings by day, while he spends his nights in a trolley barn, a forest, an unused village church, and an assortment of welcoming taverns where he earns his eponymous title. In a narrative that swings effortlessly from third- to first-person, Handke creates a world infused with intense sensory detail while fully inhabiting Gregor's psyche, as the enigmatic character acknowledges "roaming aimlessly, yes, but by my own choice," confronting memory and loss.

The Ballad of the Last Guest is saturated with a reflective spirit. Its final section amounts to a brief coda, in which he primarily summons up a generous sampling of striking images drawn from all that has gone before. It's a fitting conclusion to an impressionistic novel that casts a memorable spell. --Harvey Freedenberg, freelance reviewer

Shelf Talker: In this memorable, impressionistic novel, a man returns to his hometown for a family visit amid a changed landscape, seeking solace for a profound loss.